


First Impressions

by jadewolf, raptormoon



Series: Adventures of Team Crab [9]
Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Aiata - Freeform, And Mating Season in Lalotai Brings Unexpected Challenges, Crab Love is a Mysterious Thing, F/M, Gen, Maui (Mentioned Only), Mildly Suggestive Material, Nupaa, Ripekanga, Rīpekanga!Verse, Tamatoa/Aiata, Tuahangata - Freeform, Unwelcome Advances, fight! fight! fight!, self doubt, wounded pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 19:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21415687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadewolf/pseuds/jadewolf, https://archiveofourown.org/users/raptormoon/pseuds/raptormoon
Summary: Tamatoa's first summer in Lalotai doesn't go smoothly when another, larger and flashier crab throws his proverbial hat in the ring.  A short in the Rīpekanga series.
Series: Adventures of Team Crab [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1356133
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> A note from raptormoon: And here you finally get to meet Nupaa. Enjoy hating him. XD
> 
> A note from jadewolf: And you can SEE him here! https://www.deviantart.com/jadewolf42/art/Nupaa-784555375
> 
> Happy Tamatoa Tuesday!

Life in the Realm of Monsters was, in many ways, far different from how things had been upon the now-sunken island of Rīpekanga. It was far larger, for one.In a year of exploring, Tamatoa and Aiata had yet to find its limits.They had only found one ‘coastline’, near to where they had settled and established their territory, but if there were other boundaries, they had not discovered them thus far. There was nearly endless room to roam, not constrained by the ever shrinking space afforded by a surface island.

Even better, Lalotai was _swarming_ with prey animals. Unlike on their island, where food was often scarce and the failure of any single food source might mean starvation, here there was more than enough to go around. Food was plentiful and, while often unfamiliar, they had found many flavors to their liking.They had adapted their hunting methods to their new home with ease, quickly learning how to ambush the various monster species that inhabited this new land.

As such, they had both been feeding well. A year without famine had left them both fully recovered from their ordeal against Maui and, if anything, healthier than ever. Neither had molted yet, so they still bore their scars, but otherwise they glowed with health from a year of good living.

With the summer season coming on soon, they had upped their food intake in preparation, too. Hunt after successful hunt had left them both sleek with fat in their soft parts, the reserves that would bolster their energy in the heat of the busy season when their attentions turned from the primal pursuit of food to another carnal need.

The cyclical rise in hormones seemed even _more_ prominent here, in the ancestral homeland of all monsters. Tamatoa found himself far more _driven_ than he had ever been on the surface. An instinctive force that manifested itself in a myriad of ways, including a deep territoriality.

On their old island, they had been the only crabs remaining and there was little need to enforce territorial boundaries beyond the normal rousting of poachers and trespassing monsters of other species. Once Tamatoa had won his territory, there had been only minimal maintenance required for the most part.

Here, however, the urge to patrol their borders became impossible to ignore. Though neither had encountered other monster crabs yet, there were _signs_ of them scattered throughout the realm. Tamatoa _knew_ there were other crabs out there somewhere—other _male_ crabs—and that made him irrationally nervous.

There had been no _competition_ on Rīpekanga, not after the other three male crabs had vanished in the years before Tamatoa had courted Aiata. He had been the only male left, an easy choice really.Who else was she going to mate with?

But what if there were _better_ crabs here? Bigger crabs.More attractive crabs. _Whole_ crabs, who were not missing a limb and half an antennae. Crabs who would make him, even with his shiny trophies of past victories, look small and drab and _insignificant_. What if they came to court Aiata this summer? What if… what if…

These swirling thoughts were like ice water under his exoskeleton, leaving his confidence shaky and his standing in doubt. He didn’t know what he would do without Aiata, especially now that they were in this foreign place.He had grown so _comfortable_ with her constant presence in his life, an oddity for a species that was typically solitary. But Tamatoa had enjoyed every single moment of their unusual new year-round arrangement; he didn’t want to give that up. He didn’t want to lose that wonderful partnership they shared.

Aiata was the smartest creature he’d ever met. She was strong and fierce, with a bravery that never failed to awe him. She could fight with more cunning and finesse than even the hardest mantis shrimp. Aiata could whip him in any sparring match with ease (and often did so, but Tamatoa never minded being flipped over by her). But she could also be so gentle and kind, always there with support when he needed it most.And, of course, she was beautiful, too—a sturdy frame, powerful claws, and striking bioluminescent markings that made him go weak.

She was the most amazing, the most wonderful, the most _perfect_ crab in the world. But in a realm where there were so many _other_ options for her to choose from, Tamatoa kept asking himself:

What if he wasn’t good enough?

\---

On the cusp of summer, Aiata was happier than she could ever remember having been. Their first year in Lalotai—and their first year _staying_ together in the off season—had been one of remarkable success. Together, she and Tamatoa had found a fine home and a rich territory. But beyond that, she had found that their cohabitation was one of endless discovery and delight. Even after being paired for more than two hundred mating seasons, there was still _so much_ to learn about each other. By choosing to stay together, rather than go their separate ways at the summer’s end, Aiata had come to see so much _more_ of her mate.

And she had loved every bit of it. Her deep affection for him only grew and grew. He was wickedly clever, both in hunting and in humor. Tamatoa could track down the scent of prey, then lure them into a trap just as easily as he conjured up witty jokes and amusing anecdotes that invariably left her in stitches. Creative beyond anything Aiata had ever seen, he came up with endless new songs, improvised right on the spot with both artful lyrics and sophisticated rhythms.He was forever serenading her, with songs that ran the gamut from playful and bawdy to sweet and adoring.

He could be loud and brash and ridiculously flamboyant, always putting on a big show and prancing around to impress her. But, he also had a very sensitive side.She was only beginning to peer into the depths of it, but she had found that there was a certain fragility beneath all the bluster and showmanship. In the months following their ordeal with Maui, she had seen more of this side as he recovered from his trauma—both physical and emotional.Losing his leg had taken some of the confidence out of him and laid bare many hidden doubts and fears.

It was even _more_ reason why Aiata was glad they had chosen to stay together. His leg might be gone, but she could at least help him find a way to put the other pieces of himself back together. As always, what they could not do alone, they would do together.When he needed strength, she was there to share hers; and when Aiata’s spirits were low, he lifted her up. It was the perfect arrangement.And Aiata couldn’t imagine ever shouldering the weight of their difficult world without Tamatoa again.

Of course, they were also both supremely independent crabs and just as comfortable spending an occasional evening on their own as they were spending it together. Tonight was one of those nights.Tamatoa had elected to go stalking the _huepuaa_ herds that frequented the plains north of the lair—his new favorite food since coming to Lalotai. Aiata had been craving something different, however, and had headed towards the sponge gardens that dotted their western border to hunt _feke_ octopus.

It was here that she spent the early evening hours. _Feke_ were clever and tricky to capture, often eluding even the most clever traps. The bigger ones, of course, were extremely dangerous—a natural predator of crabs!—but the fresh, young ones were the perfect size for a nice snack. Still small, they were just about half the size of a fully grown human, but _far_ more challenging to catch. They were delicious, too.It was Aiata’s favorite sort of hunting, the kind that presented an engaging cerebral puzzle as well as providing a tasty meal as a reward at the end.

And over the past year, Aiata had gotten _very_ good at it. As the twilight faded from the sea-sky overhead and gave way to inky night, she trapped octopus after octopus in the brilliantly colored vase sponges. With one caught, she would extract the slippery little morsel, pop it into her mouth before it could wriggle free, and move on to the next.

All in all, not a bad way to spend the evening. Soon enough, she had eaten her fill and started back for the lair. She hadn’t gone far at all before Tamatoa, his claws still stained with _huepuaa_ blood, had bounded out of the foliage to meet her. They exchanged their usual fond embrace, antennae twining together with warm affection. When they parted, it only took half a moment for Tamatoa to launch into a highly embellished retelling of his own hunt, complete with colorful language and dramatic gestures of his claws.

Aiata couldn’t help but laugh, especially at the more fantastical and unlikely elements of his tale. Together, they ambled off back to the lair, laughing gaily and simply enjoying the warm night in their new home.

\---

With summer coming on and breeding season accompanying it, Nupaa began his annual southward stroll, aiming for the _ropu_ grounds in which the many _kaveunui_ of the area usually gathered. Never one to take paths well-travelled - there was simply too _much_ to see! - this particular season found Nupaa, by chance, wandering south on a particularly eastward trail.

And, as it was, the large, reddish _kaveunui_ monster encountered a familiar scent that was entirely too enticing: _huepuaa_ blood. Antennae waving about as he sussed out the direction it was wafting from, Nupaa changed course, looking to score an easy meal.

What he found outright _baffled_ him.

It was a male crab, quite a bit smaller than himself - not unusual - but the guy was absolutely _covered_ in junk. Strangely shiny, glittering trash. Where had such a collection even come from?

The wind that had carried the bloody scent to him served him well now, keeping his own scent from reaching the weirdo, and Nupaa angled himself into the cover of the trees that ringed this plain, eager to stay out of sight. He didn’t normally spy like this, but he was too taken aback to simply waltz right up and say ‘hello.’

And, glumly, Nupaa realized the weirdo had eaten the _entire_ pig. So much for an easy meal!

Slightly irked, he found himself following the smaller crab as he flounced off. Now that he was paying attention, something besides all that gold seemed _off_ about this guy. Something about his scent… but he was too far away, and the scents were too muddled and covered with pig blood for Nupaa to find just what he was looking for.

Imagine his surprise when the weirdo led him right to a _female._

Instincts and hormones surged at the discovery of her. _Now_ he wanted to run on up, flip the little guy over, then woo the lady until she let him flip _her,_ if you know what I mean. But he hadn’t made it this far in life by actually _doing_ all the things his hormones said to do; so, for now, Nupaa watched. It was early in the season to have picked a mate, but not unheard of… but why _this_ obnoxious creature? What was she looking for, and how could Nupaa give it to her?

He had the feeling this little detour was going to become a major side-project, but he also had every confidence it would be well worth his time.

Nupaa’s antennae wiggled in excitement, just thinking about her-- and the prospect of _meeting_ her.

\---

The following day found Tamatoa and Aiata sleeping soundly. They had been up late the previous evening—enjoying the pleasure of each other’s company until the sun’s watery light was bright in the skylight overhead.

Tamatoa awoke first, well before the sun set and while Aiata still slept. It was an unusual occurrence, as typically Aiata was up long before him and neither tended to get up before dark. But on this occasion, he had _plans_. Aiata had made a comment the night before, just in passing, that she had spotted a _moa_ near the edge of their territory. The giant, flightless birds were uncommon, but also uncommonly tasty. She had expressed an interest in it and, though they were centuries past the _courtship_ phase of their partnership, he felt compelled to go find it, catch it, and present it to her.

Tamatoa wanted to _impress_ her. He was always an unapologetic showcrab, but this was different. His doubts had been haunting him again of late, speaking in their insidious whispers that he wasn’t worthy of her attention; so he was _determined_ to prove his worthiness, to show that despite his missing leg and his broken antennae and his scarred carapace, he was _still_ a good choice.

And so, leaving Aiata comfortably sleeping off their energetic diurnal activities, Tamatoa set out for the border of their territory to catch her a special meal. It ought to impress her, too._Moa_ were dangerous. Even with their stumpy, useless wings keeping them from flying, they nevertheless possessed razor sharp beaks and massive, curving talons on their scaly feet. And they were fast and vicious.Bringing one in on his own would be quite a feat.

Of course, he would have to _find_ it first. Thus, as he neared the edge of their territory where scent markers and shredded trees communicated their ownership, he focused his antennae on seeking out any sign of his quarry.

\---

It had been an uncomfortable day, sleeping in a sandy pit downwind of where the crabs had wandered off to; Nupaa had noticed the territory markers, and was nowhere _near_ ready to cross them, especially since they were scent-marked by _both_ the male and the female. Another oddity, and another puzzle to figure out while he ‘researched’ how to win the lady’s affections.

Anyway, drowsy from a day’s worth of only half-sleeping, Nupaa’s antennae perked up as a scent reached him: the little male! And _close_ \- had he somehow been discovered? He hadn’t taken the time to mask his scent, but he shouldn’t have- 

Ah, wait a moment. _Moa_ were nearby, Nupaa could hear the sound of them squawking not far. Surely the little male was heading there, for who couldn’t resist a bite of bird, after all?

With a few stretches to limber up and sharpen his mind, Nupaa stood and stealthily stalked toward the presumed hunt, intent upon spying and learning just what was so impressive about the gaudy little shrimp.

\---

Tamatoa had little difficulty finding the tracks of the _moa_ flock. They were right where he’d expected, still roosting just beyond the edges of his territory. There were quite a few of them, too.That, of course, increased the danger.A lone _moa, _despite their smaller size, was a formidable creature, but they were also _pack hunters_ and a whole flock could take down much larger monsters with relative ease. Of course, they were flighty creatures and just as likely to run as attack.If startled, they might bolt and he would never catch up with the speedy birds. 

Keeping all this in mind, Tamatoa was cautious, circling wide around their nesting ground and looking for a good, inconspicuous approach. If he could dart in and snatch one unaware, he might be able to retreat before the rest of the flock was alerted or came after him.All he needed to do was find _just_ the right opportunity. All he needed--

He froze, his antennae twitching as a new scent reached him on a shifting wind. Tamatoa’s eyes widened in surprise, but he immediately began walking again as to not let on that he had picked up the scent.

This new scent was no bird. It was another _crab_. A _male_.

A thrill of both fear and fury swept through him all at once. The instinctual drive which demanded he _remove_ this strange male _immediately_ was at sharp odds with the more sobering thought that his fears of other, more desirable suitors taking his place might be coming to life.

Either way, it looked like his hunt was _not_ going to go as planned. He abandoned any thought of going after the _moa_. Instead his eyes narrowed and he pivoted, antennae slashing through the air to better pinpoint this unseen male while still pretending to stalk the avian monsters.

As soon as he had a good idea of where the other crab was, he made a snap decision. Moving quickly, but quietly, he hurried around to the other side of the resting flock--putting them between himself and where he believed the other crab to be.

Then, letting out a roar, he burst from concealment and charged the birds, intent on stampeding them towards the unseen crab.

\---

Nupaa had hunkered down to observe, and was promptly bored. The male was hunting the _moa,_ just as expected, but seemed so wary of it. How dull.

Despite himself, and his determination to learn what was going on here, Nupaa’s attention wandered. He kept only vague track of the actions of the other male, and instead focussed on sussing out the various nuances of scent he picked up. The female’s scent was all over him, and it was quite obvious that they had already begun seasonal mating. There was some strange, faded scent as well, something he couldn’t place, but it was weeks old and Nupaa didn’t care enough about _that_ to be diverted from his mission.

When the wind shifted, however, he came back to himself. The little guy’s antennae were twitching in the air, and for a moment Nupaa thought his concealment confounded; but then he kept going, circling the _moa_ like before. Nupaa quirked his eyes and continued to watch.

He was _just_ getting bored again when the unexpected happened. Attention jerked straight ahead by a roar followed by a cacophony of squawks, eyestalks still wiggling and antennae mid-sway, Nupaa looked up to see the herd flocking.

They were flocking this way.

His eyes widened; he had only a moment to act! Quickly, he tucked his legs under his shell and buried his head beneath his claws, feelers curling down into the afforded protection as well. Immediately after he could feel the dull thuds of the feathered food leaping onto - and running _over_ \- him. His shell and claws were more than thick enough to withstand to razor-sharp talons of the birds, and he’d made himself into little more than a rock; the flock went right past him.

It was over in seconds. Only one straggler remained between him and the little male now - Nupaa could hear it running, its breath labored, even though his antennae were covered. Swiftly he stood and grabbed the itinerant bird with a claw, deftly snapping its spine. Idly, he bit off the squawking head, looking around for the male that had started the stampede.

Ah, there he was. Staring at him with a slack jaw and furious eyes.

Nupaa hid a smirk, and instead lifted the _moa_ remains in a salute.

“Hey, thanks for the snack.”

\---

Tamatoa was indeed _furious_. This hadn’t worked out the way he wanted it to _at all_. Not only had it failed to run off the other male, but it _had_ run off all the food. And the only _moa_ remaining was now firmly in the other crab’s grasp.

So irritated by this poor turn of events, it took him a moment to register just how _huge_ the other crab was. In fact, it wasn’t until _after _Tamatoa strode belligerently up to the other male that realization finally struck.

When it did, a fresh jolt of fear arced through him. This crab was nearly twice his size.Just like… just like… His blood ran cold, a sudden flash of memory surging up:Maui, wearing a false crab shape, standing over him and taking his leg in his claw…

_No._ He couldn’t think about that now. Not with this smug, flame-colored stranger grinning down at him with perfect, gleaming teeth and eating _his_ _moa_.

Tamatoa swallowed his fear, burying it with anger. “And just who the hell are _you?_” he demanded, claws held aggressively but not in full threat just yet. He had, thankfully, stopped before coming within reach of this giant, but that didn’t stop him from putting on a warning display.

\---

Whoa, _touchy!_ Small and angry and looking about ready to start a tussle, the little male was _awfully_ belligerent, despite the strong whiffs of _fear_ pouring off of him. Nupaa was used to that, of course, especially when a female was involved, so he simply swallowed the rest of the _moa_ whole and took a sly sideways step around the little ball of anger, not edging any closer but certainly not backing off.

Maybe the female liked being told what to do? Maybe rough positions? Hmm, still too early to reach any conclusions like that.

“Nupaa,” he answered, matter-of-factly. “You may have heard of me. I’m afraid I’ve never heard of anyone like _you,_ though.” His eyes skated across the gaudy, gold-dripping shell before tracing across the rest of the crab. Nupaa’s eyes lingered on the stump of a leg; that was a _fresh_ injury, probably only a year old. Definitely a fighter, then… but how good?

\---

Tamatoa watched the other crab gulp down _his _meal, a growl building low in his throat. It was almost as if this stranger—_Nupaa_, he called himself—knew _just_ how to tweak Tamatoa’s antennae.

The recognition of that finally seemed to break through the haze of primal forces. He couldn’t let himself be _baited_. It was allowing himself to be baited that had cost him his leg. He took a beat to rein his impulses in, at least a bit, and tried not to flinch under the attention now being paid to that mangled leg.

He was partially successful, at least, in curbing his fury. The twitch in his severed stump, however, was harder to suppress.

Nevertheless, he summoned up as much of his own smugness as he could to fire back. His eyes, staying fixed on the other crab as he stepped around, looked Nupaa up and down with disdain. “Funny, never heard of _you_ either.”

He punctuated his words with a light tap of his clawtips, nothing so overt as a snap, but still a clear statement.

“And what are you doing here?” was the next demand, making it exceedingly clear that the other was _unwelcome_.

He didn’t offer his own name.

\---

Feisty little fellow, wasn’t he?

“Ah well, I won’t hold it against you,” he returned smoothly, dismissively. His antennae were dancing in the air, taking in all the scents this crab had to offer, even as he eyed him up and down- mostly down.

He kept his own claws held neutrally; he didn’t feel threatened, and certainly didn’t want to _provoke_ a fight, but a guy could never be sure when some upstart got it into his head to listen to his hormones instead of his brains. He _did_ keep up the slow, steady circle, inspecting every inch that he could see.

Nupaa flicked one feeler casually toward the little male’s gaudy shell, careful to still keep a respectable distance. “So what’s with all that stuff on you?” he asked.

He didn’t answer the question.

\---

Tamatoa was forced to turn, stepping with short, cramped strides, in order to keep his eyes and, more importantly, his _claws_ trained on massive crab circling him. It left him feeling _small_. _Vulnerable_.

He didn’t like it.

Nevertheless, he tried to bluster his way through it. “Jealous?” he asked, tilting his shell to catch the light and to bring the enormous fishhook crowning it into greater prominence. _Surely_ this jerk would recognize something as distinctive and iconic as the hook Maui used to carry.

Summoning up the appearance of nonchalance, he went on. “Just my collection of prizes of _battles won_.”

Okay, sure. Only the hook had really been a ‘prize of a battle won.’ And it was more like a desperate escape in which he absconded with the hook than a real victory. But, damnit, he had faced the most notorious monster-killer of them all and had not only survived, but had stolen Maui’s magical weapon! That had to count for something.

\---

Nupaa squinted against the glare, but nevertheless chuckled at the display. “Mmm-hmm,” he hummed dismissively, eyeing the white thing at the top. He didn’t recognize it, though he could tell it meant something _special_ to the little male.

“Battles hard-won, I see,” he continued, falsely admiring, gesturing with a single antenna to the stump of a leg. “Me, I have a much easier time simply _talking_ my way out of trouble. Brains over brawn, you know.”

\---

Tamatoa bristled, not appreciating the renewed attention to his missing leg and the fresh reminder that he was not _whole_. And, worse yet, Nupaa didn’t even react to the sight of the fishhook! It was maddening, but Tamatoa tried to rein it all in and keep his cool.

Instead of lashing out as he wanted to, he quirked a dubious eye. “Really?I see plenty of brawn on you, but not much indicator of _brains_.” He couldn’t look _down_ on the other crab, but he did at least try to look up at him as disdainfully as possible.

\---

Nupaa snorted, the shrimp’s attempt at an insult sliding right past him; his confidence too strong to be shaken by any words.

“Says the crab missing a leg and covered in gold.” He tilted his eyes closer, speaking conspiratorially.

“Are you… _compensating_ for something?” he asked, _sotto voce._

\---

Tamatoa’s anger nearly boiled over at _that_ jab and its implications. He grit his teeth, though, and reminded himself once again that _he had defeated Maui_. He had lost his leg, but he had _survived_. That _meant something_.

And besides, he might have lost a limb, but he _absolutely_ had no trouble when it came to _summer activities_. And he wasn’t afraid to _boast_ about that, either.

So, he gave his antennae a haughty flick, silently hoping that the other crab would not notice the foreshortened one next, and put on his most smug smirk. “Well, _I_ certainly have nothing to compensate for.” He gave his shell a little shimmy, catching the light in his glittering treasures once again and dipping his weight suggestively. “My mate would agree.”

\---

The display likewise flew right past Nupaa; he heard the word _mate_ and his attention narrowed.

“Yes, your _mate!”_ he agreed. “Tell me about her,” he coaxed, not at all caring that he was perhaps being a little _too_ obvious. 

“Isn’t it a bit early in the season to be so…” could he phrase this tactfully? “...settled?”

\---

Tamatoa’s face froze, his antennae swept straight up, and his eyes followed, jerking up and going wide as he realized he probably _shouldn’t_ have said anything about Aiata.

For a moment, he floundered, hurrying to backpedal. “That’s… that’s none of your business!”

This other male’s interest was _palpable_ and Tamatoa’s fears about _suitors_ were rushing back to the forefront. He couldn’t take those boastful words back, though. His only option was to keep rolling with them.

He forced his face into an expression of confidence, even as nervousness undercut him beneath it. “Is that why you’re _skulking_ around here?” he fired off, trying to take control of the situation back. “Well, she’s _not interested_\--” Oh, he hoped that was true. “--so you can just _run along_.”

He emphasized this with a condescending little wave of his claws, meant to simultaneously insult and dismiss the other crab.

\---

Instinct _really_ wanted Nupaa to snatch up those little claws and _crush;_ but, no, he was a lover! Not a fighter. And for whatever merit it gave him, the little guy obviously _had_ survived several battles.

Instead, he began his circling again, winding in a little closer.

“Oh, that so?” he asked, insouciantly. “How do you know she’s not? You’ve never heard of me, but maybe _she_ has and she’s simply been waiting for the _opportunity.”_

He flashed a smile, perfectly straight and clean teeth flashing as bright as gold. “Maybe you should go tell her that _opportunity_ has arrived.”

\---

Tamatoa’s jaw dropped at the sheer, unmitigated _gall_ of this other crab. With his perfect teeth. And his unmarred exoskeleton. And his flashy colors.

And he was getting _closer_.

Tamatoa didn’t dare retreat. To do so would practically be an _invitation_. But the thought of having to fight this much larger opponent brought back chilling memories of fighting Maui atop those cliffs near the sea.

His confidence was shaky. Fears and insecurities preyed upon him relentlessly, gnawing away at the ground under his dactyls.

One thing was _certain_, however. He knew damn well that Aiata had never seen or heard of this asshole before. He hoped she never would.

“Well, _she’s_ never heard of you either. I’m sure she would have mentioned coming across someone so _tedious_,” he sneered. “So I’ll give you the _opportunity_ to leave--” Trying to put up a hasty diversion, he added one more quick thing to hopefully throw Nupaa off and make it clear he wasn’t to be trifled with. “--before I have to give you a demonstration of how I took down _two_ demigods.”

Granted, he hadn’t done it alone. And one of those demigods ended up becoming his friend. But nevertheless, Tamatoa _had_ taken down two demigods.

\---

Nupaa almost scoffed. Almost.

Then his eyes flicked back to the _thing_ atop the gold-encrusted shell. His eyes tilted at it, considering, even as he segued his approach back into a circle. The little guy was full of bluster, to be sure, but he was starting to sense some truth behind it. 

He looked again at the mauled stump of a leg. Definitely not bitten or chewed. Not yanked straight off, like one usually saw as a result of octopus attack. And a mantis shrimp- well, if this guy had lost a leg to a mantis shrimp, he wouldn’t have gotten away.

Nupaa’s eyes narrowed, considering. This little male _might_ be lying, bluffing his way out of a confrontation. Nupaa was bigger, but he was also in _perfect_ condition; did he really want to take the chance of a fight, especially against someone who _might_ actually be good at it? And so early in the season, and with so many _other_ ways to meet the lady back there somewhere?

He drew up to his full height with a smarmy grin, but backed away a step.

“If you insist,” he demurred, but making it clear he was only backing off because _he_ wanted to. He wasn’t interested in getting all dinged up and scratched just now, after all. 

“See you around,” he concluded, before he turned around and walked away.

\---

Tamatoa glowered after him, watching him go until he was _sure_ that Nupaa was gone. With the departure of the other male crab, some of the tension went out of Tamatoa.

Some, but not all.

He started back towards home, claws empty and his whole plan of catching a _moa_ for Aiata utterly ruined. Worse still, he didn’t believe for a moment that this was the last he’d be seeing of Nupaa. He’d seen the way the other crab’s eyes had lit eagerly at the mention of Aiata.Had he _seen_ her? Had he been _spying_ on them?

The very thought made Tamatoa nervous and he eyed the foliage around him with great suspicion. He would have to step up his patrols of their borders _even more_ to keep this interloper out. To let down his guard might be the end of _everything_.

The sun was finally going down when he returned to the lair. Aiata was waiting for him outside, freshly awake and stretching her legs. She smiled at his approach.

“You’re out early,” she commented. Then her grin turned teasing.“And here I thought I wore you out last night.”

He tried to summon up a smile of his own, but it fell a little flat with so much doubt swirling in his thoughts. Aiata, ever perceptive, noticed immediately.

“You okay, Tama?” She abandoned her warm up stretches and stepped close, antennae flitting over him.

Tamatoa looked away, tilting his shell. This wasn’t a question he wanted to answer.

But when her antennae brushed along his neck, his attention was pulled quickly back. Her eyes found his.“Hey,” she probed gently, concern evident.“What happened?”

He couldn’t _lie_ to her, but he didn’t want to talk about it either. He was afraid to even _bring up_ the other crab. So, instead he forced a lopsided grin on to his face. “Breakfast got away,” he offered weakly.

From the look on her face, Aiata was not convinced. But, sensing his reticence, she didn’t press him further. Not now, at least.She had an uncanny way of getting the truth out of him eventually, though. This wouldn’t stay unspoken for long.

But for the moment, she only gave him a reassuring smile. “Well, we’ll just have to go get some more.”

Then she hooked a leg around his and gave him a light tug. “C’mon.You’ll feel better after you eat.And…”A bright, mischievous twinkle lit her purple-tinted eyes. “...if not, well...I’ll just have to find _another_ way to make you feel better.”

And with that, the dark clouds lifted, if only for a little while.

\---

It was early—before sunset even—when Tamatoa got up to make the rounds. He had tried to shuffle out of the sand without waking Aiata, but had been unsuccessful. As he began to rise, she had stirred and her eyes slit open.

“Sun’s not down yet,” she murmured groggily.

“I know,” he whispered back. “Just going for a walk.”

She shifted in the sand, angling one eye at him. Even sleep-clouded and hazy, there was a keenness in her gaze that always saw right through him.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said.

She was still only half-awake, yet she was twice as cognizant as he was. Tamatoa had no doubt she knew _exactly_ what he was doing and, most likely, _why_. He could never hide anything from Aiata.

A slender leg emerged from the sand to curl around his and give him a gentle tug. “Come back to bed,” she beckoned.

Tamatoa hesitated. For just a moment, he considered doing just that. The sand was warm, heated by the last afternoon rays streaming in from the skylight above, and Aiata’s company was warmer still.

But then Tamatoa remembered how that strange male’s eyes had lit up at the mention of her. He recalled Nupaa’s massive size and his glossy carapace and his perfect smile.Then he thought about his own scarred hide, his missing leg and his broken antennae, and all the fears he hid under a blanket of glittering treasure.

Tamatoa made up his mind.

“I won’t be long,” he assured her. “Just going to get an early start on the borders.”

The haze of sleep was fading from her eyes quickly now. “Tama…”

He gave her a smile, leaning down to run his antennae along hers. “See you soon!”

Then he hurried out before she could convince him to stay.

Tamatoa had work to do.

\---

The day had passed unbearably slowly. Nupaa tried to sleep -- he had found a place that _wasn’t_ sand, luckily -- but thoughts of his encounter with the unnamed crab circled round his mind. What _had_ the little guy gotten up to, to have injuries such as that? What was up with all that shiny crap on his shell? Had he _really_ defeated two demigods?

Nupaa had never encountered a demigod before, though he _was_ familiar with a few creatures of similar make. And he’d heard plenty of stories, too, of how the divine-yet-worldly beings would venture into Lalotai and kill unsuspecting monsters. Of course, plenty of those monsters must have _escaped,_ too, else where would the stories have come from? And if all of that was true, then the little male’s tales were, at the least, _plausible._

And if he’d fought against a demigod and lived, then Nupaa didn’t particularly relish the idea of fighting him. Not so close to summer, not so near the _ropu_ grounds. Not at _all, _really.

Luckily, he knew plenty of ways around that. And if he wanted to get past these borders and find the elusive female somewhere inside, he was going to have to put a plan into action.

\---

Nupaa was on a mission. He had yet to find the female he knew was _somewhere_ in here, but he knew _just_ what to do. The little male had been awfully protective of her; that would make it _awfully_ easy to lure him out of the way. Just a meandering scent-trail laid out throughout the territory, not _too_ deep but enough to catch his attention, then leading the little male out and into an area of… _suspect_ safety, to say the least.

Then Nupaa, utilizing the local resources to mask his scent, circled back and struck out into the heart of this territory.

\---

Along the edges of their territory, not far from where he had last spotted the other intruding crab, Tamatoa once again picked up the unmistakable signature of the stranger’s scent. This time, however, it was _within_ their borders.

He felt a fury rise up in him. The other male was getting _more_ brazen and Tamatoa knew his anger was righteously held. Eyes narrowed to thin crescents, he set off after the scent with every intention of ejecting the trespasser on sight.

The trail meandered, almost as if Nupaa was wandering aimlessly. It looped in long, lazy laps around stands of branching, coralline trees and dipped back and forth across the territorial boundaries he and Aiata had meticulously marked.

It irked Tamatoa to no end.

Had he been less reactive and less driven by the guiding claw of primal instinct, he might have recognized what was going on. Had he not been blinded by the hormones of summer and his indescribable need to _destroy_ this challenger, he might have realized that this was a tactic similar to those he himself employed.

But his blood was up and the heat of the summer season was upon him and, as such, Tamatoa ignored his brain in favor of other, less rational direction.

Until the scent trail came to an abrupt and unexpected halt. Even then, it took a few minutes for the realization to settle upon him that the other crab had outwitted him—and using the _very same _scent masking techniques that Tamatoa had been such an expert in on the surface. The other crab had _beaten him at his own game_, using his local knowledge to adroitly leave a confusing and distracting trail, then quickly hide his scent and double back.

Tamatoa fumed, clenching his claws in impotent anger at being outsmarted by this flash bastard. He was furious at himself, furious at Nupaa, and furious at a world where he was a foreigner.

Then a stray, ugly thought hit him: Most of the time, when he laid a false trail such as this, he would ensure there was something dastardly and unpleasant waiting at the end of it and—

As soon as the thought struck him, Tamatoa froze in alarm—alarm that was very quickly enhanced by a piercing call that howled through the coral forest, frighteningly loud and devastatingly close.

There was barely time to react before the inevitable attack came.

\---

Meanwhile, Aiata was closer to home. In the hours after early twilight and while Tamatoa was patrolling their borders, she had set out to hunt. It had been a successful evening for it, too.She had been fortunate enough to stumble upon a wounded mo’o—a casualty of the lizard monsters’ rough and tumble courtship routines that often left defeated males weak and battered. This one was half Aiata’s size, but was streaked with deep gashes from curving claws, sluggishly dripping with thick, red blood.One leg was mangled, with a ragged chunk of flesh dangling loosely, held by only a thin strip of skin and flesh, and deep teeth marks all around.

A healthy mo’o of that size would have required both her and Tama to bring down, but an injured one was a different matter. It had dragged itself from shadow to shadow, trying to cut across her territory to some imagined safety, far from where rival male lizard monsters lurked.

It had proven a fatal mistake.

Aiata sprang upon the limping lizard, catching it unaware and swiftly ending its suffering with a sharp snap and twist of her pincers around its neck. It was over quickly; the mo’o’s summer troubles were over.

She settled down immediately to feed, tearing bite-sized morsels free with delicate maneuvers of her claws. Of course, she would save some for Tama when he returned, but for now she simply enjoyed her meal in quiet, contented peace.

It was the sort of peace that never lasted very long.

\---

The scent of fresh blood caught Nupaa’s attention; deftly, he picked his way across the terrain. The _female’s_ scent was on the wind, too, and it danced along his antennae much like a sensual caress. He shivered, anticipating the moment he would finally meet _her._

Both scents grew stronger, and the sounds of a meal being happily consumed reached him. He was close now… but it wouldn’t do to _scare_ the lady. So, when he finally popped out from behind a stand of coral, female in sight and delectably coated in mo’o blood, Nupaa wasted no time in announcing himself:

“Oh,” he said, as though surprised. “Looks like I’m too late. Congratulations on your kill.”

\---

Aiata’s antennae shot up, her frame going rigid with surprise at the unexpected voice. A meaty leg bone fell from her grasp as her bloodstained claws opened in an instinctive threat.

Her eyes narrowed as another crab came into view. She hadn’t even detected a whiff of his scent, despite the calm air. Aiata realized in an instant that he must have masked it, as Tamatoa was so adept at doing on their old island. It was a useful skill for hunting, but in this case she suspected it was employed for less innocent purpose.What kind of crab would hide their scent and then march past clear territorial markers with impunity?

She sized him up with a glance. He was large--taller than Aiata herself by at least ten feet--and well-built. His exoskeleton was pristine, gleaming and unblemished.His coloration was loud and flashy, painted in vibrant hues of deep red, fiery orange, and inky black. When he spoke, there were flashes of perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth behind a too-eager smile.

One thing was certain, this was no time to be lying down. Aiata stood to face her intruder, rising from the ground with a smooth, lupine grace. A single long leg reached over to protect her kill from this interloper.Her claws remained cracked open and at the ready, but were not raised in a direct challenge just yet.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

\---

With a hiss of shifting grains the sand underfoot swirled around him, as if something massive was moving beneath it. Tamatoa tried to dance away, but there was no clear path to escape.The ground _all around_ him was moving.

Then the dirt bubbled up like the geysers which surrounded his lair. Great, green, smoothly-muscled coils burst to the surface, slick with mucus and leading towards a massive, tapering head with jaws full of ragged teeth.

It was a moray eel. An _enormous_ moray eel!

Within seconds, the long, sinuous body was wrapped around him. He was instantly doused in disgusting, foul-smelling slime, but that was the least of Tamatoa’s worries. The eel squeezed, trying to get a solid grip on him even as he flailed in an attempt to break free.But even this wasn’t the worst thing.

No, the worst thing was the gaping, toothy maw descending towards him. It reeked of death and rotted fish.Tamatoa stared into that cavernous abyss with growing horror, only to discover that, emerging from the black depths of the creature’s throat, was _another_ set of jaws. Armed with short, jagged teeth, this second monstrous mass of dripping fangs darted out from blackness to reach for him.

And Tamatoa could only stare in abject terror, frozen by the eldritch horror before him.

Then the outer set of teeth scraped over the back of his shell, dragging across glittering treasure without gaining purchase, and a fat drop of saliva landed on his exposed neck. It was all the motivator Tamatoa needed.With a burst of desperate strength, he yanked his claws free from the fleshy coil around him.Just as the second set of jaws was about to come down upon him, his pincers shot forward and closed around the delicate jawbones.

The eel shrieked, deafeningly loud when one was already half in the creature’s mouth, and tried to withdraw its inner jaws. Strong muscles pulled, struggling to retract, but Tamatoa held fast.His claws clamped with crushing force, the fragile bones splintering under his grip. Another roar bellowed past Tamatoa, blowing back his antennae with the sheer power of it.

But the eel still did not let go.

Still grasping the broken inner mandibles, Tamatoa ratcheted up his retaliation just a bit more. With a wrenching jerk, he yanked the jaws around in an unnatural twist.Tendons snapped and muscles tore and the creature howled in absolute agony.

All at once, the coil of slimy flesh that had ensnared him suddenly released. Freed, Tamatoa let go of the eel’s inner jaws and dropped back to the earth.He hit the ground _running_.

He didn’t dare look back to where the eel was thrashing and wailing. He just _fled_ as fast as his three legs could carry him, digging in with his claws to help propel him just that much faster away from the prospect of certain, toothy, _slimy_ death.

It wasn’t until he was safely back within his own territory that Tamatoa stopped to catch his breath and assess the damage.

Nothing was broken, but there were fresh gouges across his shell and bare patches where his treasures had been scraped away. And he was coated, top to bottom, in disgusting eel mucus.It stank and it dripped from him in long, viscous stringers.

He seethed, furious. Not only had the strange male tricked him—and in a way which Tamatoa had prided himself upon using _against_ his own opponents!—but he had nearly gotten him _killed,_ too. And now Tamatoa was a filthy _mess _and his treasures were disturbed and they were probably getting all dull from eel spit and what would Aiata _say_ when she saw him and…

Tamatoa’s silent, angry ranting slammed to a halt. _Aiata!_ A sickening, fearful thought came to him. Had this all just been a diversion?!A way to get Tamatoa out of the way?!

What if that other male was stealing Aiata away _right now?_!

Forgetting about the streaks marring his carapace and the missing treasures and the foul slime, Tamatoa spun around and began running at full bore back towards the heart of their territory—far more terrified of losing Aiata than any double-jawed eel.

\---

Her vehement, angry surprise was not unexpected: here she was, settled into a cozy nest with her little love toy, then here a prime specimen, such as _himself,_ just waltzes straight in.

“Whoa, whoa, no need to be upset,” he insisted, keeping his own claws closed and low, and even dipping his posture down in deference - females liked that. “My name is Nupaa. I’d been tracking that mo’o-” a handy excuse! “- after it wandered off, but the rest of the flock… let’s say they distracted me.” Volunteering additional information was a sign of harmlessness and open honesty, never mind he was lying. It should help to lower her defenses.

He smiled an easy, disarming smile, a touch of self-deprecation, a dash of humor.

“Though if I’d known _who_ would get this guy in the end, I would’ve hurried a little more.” He left it ambiguous: he could’ve meant killing the mo’o for himself, but he also might well be - well, he _was_ \- implying he’d meet _her_ all the sooner.

He eyed her for a split-second, looking for any sign of recognition; the little male had said a lot of things, including that this lovely lady had never heard of Nupaa either, but everything he’d said was suspect information. However, there was nothing in her face or posture to indicate the name meant anything to her; a fact that made his work all the more difficult, but all the more satisfying in the end.

“Can I ask your name in return?”

\---

“I am Aiata,” she told him, her hostility showing little sign of retreating. “And you, Nupaa, are trespassing.”

His attempts at clever artifice were falling flat. She doubted he’d been tracking this particular mo’o, considering it had been stumbling alone from the opposite direction as he approached. It had been far from the mating congregation of its peers, too.Nupaa’s story sounded like a load of _huepuaa _shit.

“Did you somehow miss our _boundary markers?_” she asked, the question was politely spoken, but needle-sharp and leaving the very subtle implication that he was either rude or a moron to have ignored or missed them.

\---

Whoa, the lady was as _feisty_ as she was lovely! Unfortunately, though, she wasn’t giving him much of an opening to display his charms, instead putting him on the defensive.

That said… she, too, had let a little information slip.

“‘Our’?” he asked, innocently. Sure, she probably meant the little male from earlier; but if he could get her to talk about him, Nupaa could learn a little about the competition - _and_ what Aiata was looking for in a male.

Her unfriendliness might slow him down, but it was far from enough to deter him.

\---

His coy act wasn’t quite hitting the mark and Aiata wasn’t warming up to him by any stretch of the imagination.

“Yes, _our_,” she leveled back at him. “My _mate_, Tamatoa. This is _our_ territory.” She shifted forward, standing possessively over her mo’o kill. “And we’ve laid claim to _all_ the prey here.” She tapped her claw tips lightly together in a subtle a warning.

He had, after all, claimed he was hunting this very mo’o. She watched him carefully, gauging his reaction to discern what the truth of his arrival really was.

\---

Nupaa almost snorted at her declaration - that little runt didn’t _deserve_ a fiery female like this! - but stopped himself just in time. Her eyes were piercing right into him, and her aggression was slowly creeping up.

He backed away a half step, both to see if it settled her and to make sure he didn’t suddenly get any unsightly scratches on his shell. “Hey, hey, cool down,” he placated. “Your kill, no touching, I get it.” 

Aiata’s eyes were narrowing ever further, and Nupaa realized, with sudden insight, that she was going to catch him out in his lie sooner rather than later. He belatedly wished he’d never started it, but it was best to do what damage control he could _right now._

The handsome crab smiled a sheepish smile, lowering himself further with claws outspread in an informal courtship display. “I’m sorry, Aiata, I wasn’t being honest with you, I’ll own up to it. It’s just, I happened to catch your scent on the wind and found it so _scintillating_ that I had to find you, you know? And, silly me-” he quirked his eyes to the side as he knocked lightly on his head, tongue poking out, in a display of foolishness, “- I couldn’t bring myself to just _say_ it. I was nervous! As beautiful as you are, can you blame me for that?”

It was a quick and dirty appeal to her pride - _most_ females enjoyed being called beautiful - but at least it was the truth.

...Most of it.

\---

Was this guy _for real?_ Aiata stared at him for a moment, nonplussed. First he trespasses, then he makes a pass at her? Oh, he was hunting alright, but clearly it wasn’t for _mo’o_. She hadn’t missed his submissive courtship bow, either. Bold of him to make such moves right after she had stated that she already had a mate.

She fixed him with a sharply knowing look, making it clear she wasn’t some rube freshly come ashore.

“Tell me, Nupaa, does this act really work on other females?” she asked him, point blank and ruthlessly direct.

\---

Ah, well, so much for that ploy.

Time to be more direct.

“Why, yes,” he confirmed, smoothly sweeping back up and retaking that half step, a charmingly suave smirking grin spreading across his face. “You couldn’t tell me you’re the only _kaveunui_ female who doesn’t enjoy a little flattery. But, please, tell me what _does_ work for you. You’ll find I can be very-” he leaned forward, not into her space, not yet, but making it more than obvious that he was _into_ whatever she was, too.

“-_flexible.”_ He finished with a wink.

\---

Well, he certainly wasn’t lacking for _confidence_. She wasn’t sure what he meant by _kaveunui_\--was that what their kind were called here in Lalotai, perhaps?--but she got the gist of the rest loud and clear. Gone was the coyness and the affable fool act, vanished in an instant.Now this male was showing his true colors without restraint. And as far as Aiata was concerned, it wasn’t a good look.

“I already found what ‘works’ for me,” she told the larger crab in no uncertain terms. “Do your antennae need extra grooming?Otherwise, you surely must have heard me say I have a mate.”

\---

Nupaa’s eyes tilted laughingly. “What, that pathetic little shrimp? _Tamatoa,_ you say? Tell me, Aiata, what does he do to pleasure you? When he’s all caught up in himself, tripping over his words, shivering in his shell so much all that _junk_ rattles right off? How can _that_ legless buffoon be anywhere _close_ to worthy of you?”

\---

Aiata’s eyes narrowed, coldly furious as not only the insults against Tamatoa registered, but also the realization that Nupaa must have been _spying_ on them. Clearly, he _had_ seen Tamatoa already. He _knew_ that she already had a mate. And yet he _still_ barged into their territory to try and woo her away.

A low growl built in her throat. “You’ve got--”

Her words were cut off by an absolutely livid bellow.

Antennae jerking in surprise, Aiata looked up just as Tamatoa crashed through a stand of tentacle palms. He was wild-eyed and furious, but also a bedraggled _mess_\--covered in dripping slime, with fresh gouges on his shell, and his treasures in disarray. What in the world had happened to him?!

She had little chance to ask, however. Tamatoa was barely on the scene for a few seconds before he leveled an irate, accusing claw at Nupaa. “_You!_ You nearly got me killed!” he roared at the larger male.

Then Tamatoa’s eyes fell on Aiata and went wide, a spark of fear and uncertainty building within them. His gaze darted from her, then back to Nupaa.“And.. and you _stay away_ from her!” he shouted, though Aiata didn’t miss the faint, underlying nervousness in his tone.

\---

Nupaa was caught by surprise, as well, but other than a slight stiffening of his antennae, he didn’t let it show. He looked lazily over his shoulder at the little male, taking in the scuffs and slime with disdain.

“Hardly,” he sniffed, refusing to do any more to actually acknowledge Tamatoa. “By the looks of it, _you_ followed _me_ when I was minding my own business. It’s not my fault if you’re trailing along behind me like some _fanboy.”_

He turned back to Aiata then, careful to angle his best side - they were all his best sides - at her. 

“And, yes, I _do_ have ‘some nerve.’ Far more than that poor shipwreck back there.” 

Nupaa casually tossed those words back for Tamatoa to hear.

\---

Tamatoa was nearly _vibrating_ with rage, his mind awhirl. Here was this _interloper_, brazenly invading their territory, setting traps for Tamatoa to fall into, and then practically _preening_ in front of Aiata. It was _maddening_.

And it was _summer_. The heat in the air was rising and, with it, an answering heat within Tamatoa. Here was this strange male--big, handsome, and _whole_, everything a monster crab should be--trying to steal Aiata away. Trying to take away the only treasure that _really_ mattered. Tamatoa’s antennae quivered. He couldn’t lose Aiata.He just _couldn’t._

The fear of losing her sank its fangs into him far more effectively than the moray eel had. Primal forces were at work in the summer, a deeper instinct which mixed with that fear to override all sense and logic. Tamatoa barely realized that he had unwittingly surrendered to them.

With a wordless roar of fury, he launched himself at Nupaa.

\---

The poor little male thought he had a chance, rushing Nupaa like this? Maybe, _maybe, _if he’d been thinking with his _brain,_ Tamatoa would present a challenge for the larger crab. Thinking with his hormones, however….

Nupaa may not like to fight - too much risk of scuffs on his gorgeous exoskeleton - but that did not mean he was _bad_ at it.

He turned to meet the onrushing Tamatoa and, with a deft twist of his pincers, redirected the smaller male’s momentum to the side, flipping him over in the process. It was a quick, nearly-effortless move to incapacitate most other crabs - those who weren’t strategizing, anyway.

\---

It all happened so fast. One minute, Tamatoa was rushing the larger crab; the next, he was flying sideways through the air.

He landed hard, dislodged treasures clinking as they scattered on the ground around him. Already sore and weary from his unfortunate eel encounter, this fresh impact left him stunned and disoriented. The world swam dizzily before his eyes.

When his vision cleared, he was greeted by the sight of the other crab, twice his size, looming over him. A not-so-distant memory was stirred and he froze, blood turning to ice.For a moment, he didn’t see _Nupaa_, the smarmy local crab trying to steal his mate. Instead, he saw _Maui_\--shapeshifted into a crab and grinning madly with unbridled malice on the cliffside of Rīpekanga. Suddenly, all he could feel was the ghostly sensation of a steely grip on his missing leg.

Tamatoa opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His words caught in his throat.An oppressive tightness clenched around his heart. Static filled his antennae.His limbs refused to move and he could only stare in horror, awful memories rising up to swarm within him.

\---

Nupaa stepped away, just in case Tamatoa made a furious swipe even from here; but, no, the smaller male was stunned, laying there limply, staring off into space.

“Pathetic,” he sneered, shaking his claws out. “Here you had me thinking you were a _fighter,_ but you’re just some poser. No wonder somebody ripped your leg off-”

-And, normally he was a cautious crab, but it was almost _summer_ and there was a gorgeous lady right behind him, and he’d already _won_ this fight, as easy as it had been, and already lustful ideas were filling his brain - maybe they’d do some of them right here, in front of Tamatoa - and the little crab with the sob story was just _laying_ there like he was dead already-

-Nupaa reached out, taking a light hold of the pointed dactyl that lay opposite the missing limb, giving it a little shake, just wanting to get Tamatoa to _look_ at him and _see_ how much better than him Nupaa was.

“- you sad excuse for a- whoa!”

And _that_ was when Aiata attacked.

\---

It all happened so fast, but as soon as she realized what was happening, Aiata sprang into action. Silent, she crossed the distance in a flash.In barely two strides she was at full speed, barrelling towards this unwanted invader. A moment later, she slammed into Nupaa, throwing her full weight against him to knock him away from her beleaguered mate.

Tamatoa was laying, frozen with fear, on the ground beneath the larger crab. As she shoved his attacker to the side, she caught a glimpse of his face, wide eyed with deep-set terror. Aiata’s heart ached for him, wrestling with the memories that she knew haunted him unrelentingly.It served to sharpen her anger at the one who had triggered that petrified reaction.

She turned that fury onto Nupaa, whirling upon him with her claws wide. She had a split second to escalate the attack, while her opponent was still reeling and unbalanced from the sudden hit. And escalate she did.

Nupaa was bigger, a solid ten feet taller than her, but she was fast and skilled. She had plenty of experience fighting off larger crabs.In a single, smooth motion, she aimed low, claws driving at his forelegs to bring him down.

\---

He hadn’t even seen her coming. (He’d _wanted_ to, but-)

Before Nupaa could even process what was happening, Aiata had hold of his forelegs, squeezing tight and driving him back. He skittered, flustered and almost panicked, unconsciously attempting to rear back just to get _away_ from that crushing hold and the damage those pincers could do to his exo-

Too late, Nupaa realized he’d done _entirely_ the wrong thing. Then, the next moment, following a good shove from Aiata, he fell backwards, landing squarely on his back.

Just like he’d done to Tamatoa.

“H-Hey!” he shouted, snipping wildly around him, trying to _feel_ his attacker even if he was having trouble seeing around himself. His legs, now released from her grip, waved around clumsily in the air, trying to gain traction where there was none to be had.

“What are you _doing?!”_ he demanded.

\---

Keeping well back from his flailing legs and claws, Aiata stood over Nupaa, eyes blazing and furious, with one claw raised in open threat and the other gripping the side of his softer abdomen with bruising force.

“If you touch him again, I will tear your gonopods off,” she snarled down at him. “And feed them to the barnacles.”

To emphasize her point, she yanked at his abdomen and brought her other claw down in a sideways chop, landing a heavy blow right where it joined the rest of his body. Not hard enough to do any permanent damage, but enough that it was going to hurt for _quite_ a while.

\---

The combined pain of his abdomen being forcefully unfurled _and_ the hit to his _particularly sensitive_ area - worthy of a mantis shrimp, that - left Nupaa in a sort of stunned, gasping daze, wherein he couldn’t even think, let alone breathe!

What had just happened?! Aiata had been saying something, then _wham!_

Finally, a high-pitched, thin whimper emerged, along with the sensation that he was about to vomit from the lingering pain. The full-body shock was beginning to centralize around his _favorite _area, breath was returning, and thoughts were working again.

That said, Nupaa did not _think_ before opening his mouth.

“You crazy _matiavivi!”_ he shouted, legs now curling in defensively even as he swung his claws even more wildly around. “What the _f-” _oohhh, he was getting angry now, “- do you think you’re doing?! You-!”

A slew of incensed, if injured, invectives flew out, targeting both Aiata and Tamatoa. Most of them made little sense, Nupaa’s mind still reeling in the pain and panic that had befallen him. This didn’t happen to _him!_ He didn’t get flipped! He didn’t get _hit!_ This was all wrong!

\---

Aiata stood over him a moment longer, unfazed in the face of his tirade. “I’ll say it one more time, since you seem the thick sort.You keep your claws _away_ from him. And away from _both of us_,” she spat, glaring down at him.

With that, she released him, shoving his abdomen away in disgust as if it were mere rubbish.

Paying Nupaa no further attention, Aiata turned back to Tamatoa and her face softened. He was still lying on the ground, his legs trembling.He was still clearly shaken, but he was staring at her with wide, astonished eyes. She stepped close, reaching forward to gently touch his quivering antennae with her own.

“Hey, you okay?” she called to him.

“I, uh…” he began, legs squirming in the air nervously. Finally, after a moment he let out a heavy sigh.“Yeah, I’m okay.” He looked up at her.“But, I thought… well…”

She understood without further elaboration. “Oh Tama,” she said, with a slight quirk of her lip and a bright sparkle to her eyes. “Did you really think I would leave you?And for the likes of _him?_” She jerked a claw back at Nupaa without so much as a glance in his direction, completely ignoring any ruckus he was making.

“Well, uh, I mean…” he mumbled, sheepish. He twirled his claws, a wild and awkward gesture.

She leaned down until her lips lay beside his antennae. “Never,” she whispered to him, an unwavering promise.

Tamatoa’s antennae perked, realization dawning. He looked into her eyes, his own filled with open adoration; and the words he murmured back to her were meant only for her.

Aiata smiled.

\---

_Epilogue_

Tuahangata’s hands were fiddling. Anything within reach was fair game: the basket he was weaving, the leaves of his increasingly-tattered _lavalava,_ the stick he was poking at the fire with. Aiata was elsewhere, and Tamatoa was lounging nearby; enjoying the scent of the roasting meat, he claimed, but Tua thought there might be some other motivation hiding behind those mismatched eyes.

Finally, he could hold his words no more. “Sooo…. He’s been out there since I returned.”

Tamatoa’s eyes were closed, face poised in peaceful serenity, but the demigod didn’t miss how the crab’s antennae twitched. “So?” he asked in response.

Tua fidgeted again, wary of upsetting Tamatoa but also _itching_ to do something about the interloper. Every time he closed his eyes, the strange monster crab was a wildly-pulsating spark of light that wasn’t _moving,_ and already that was strange thing to happen in Lalotai.

But that aside, this was a monster in need! And as the self-proclaimed Demigod of Monsters, wasn’t that what Tua was supposed to do?

But he couldn’t just _say _that. Tamatoa was sensitive. _Especially_ so about the crab monster currently stranded in their territory.

“The thing is,” he began carefully, “you’ve done such a good job of running off all of the other large predators in the area-” and, indeed, Tamatoa’s antennae perked up at that praise, “-that, unless _you_ are going to do it, nothing around here is big enough to eat him.”

He couldn’t believe he was saying this! But, well, this was _Lalotai,_ and he had already learned how much of a monster-eat-monster world it was. Even so, this was part of his roundabout plan to actually _save_ the other crab.

Sure enough, Tamatoa scoffed. “I wouldn’t sully my mouth with the likes of _him._”

Tua nodded, even though Tamatoa’s eyes remained closed. “So your plan is to let him starve to death, then rot?”

This time, Tamatoa’s only answer was an unconcerned shrug.

“But, you realize,” Tua continued, “he _should_ have died by now, if he’s been there as long as you told me. He must be finding _some_ way to eat. Perhaps the smaller monsters that venture too close?”

It was the only explanation he could think of. Certainly neither Aiata nor Tamatoa would be feeding this stranger on their land, and Tuahangata had opted to follow suit and let the ways of Lalotai rule here. Except that… they apparently weren’t working. And leaving a monster who had wronged his friends to die was one thing that already rubbed Tua the wrong way, but leaving him to suffer? No, the demigod could abide that no longer.

Sure enough, the faintest lines of a frown grew on Tamatoa’s expressive face. One eye cracked open to regard the demigod, critically eyeing him up and down. Tua was prepared to answer any questions, explain what he planned to do, make assurances that he would encourage the interloper to stay away. He was prepared to take the backlash of Tamatoa’s anger, though, of course, he was certainly trying to avoid it with his imaginative use of logic.

Something must have worked, anyway. Lifting his chin into the air haughtily, Tamatoa waved a claw in dismissal. “Fine. Do what you have to do. But this meat’s _mine.”_

It took Tua a moment to realize the crab was referring to the meat roasting over the fire. “Certainly,” he agreed, dropping his half-finished basket and standing. “All yours, unless you wish to share with Aiata. I’ll just-”

He had already lost Tamatoa’s attention, the crab delicately sliding the skewered meat off of the pole. Tua took that as final permission and set off into the dawn.

\---

While Tua hadn’t exactly tried to approach in stealth, he was nevertheless somewhat unnerved that the stranger was already watching him the moment he stepped into the area. Even upside-down, the demigod could tell the crab was eyeing him with a mixture of curiosity and hunger.

“You look like you might be a human,” it drawled, eyes quirking back and forth as Tua carefully walked closer, keeping an eye on those huge pincers. “I’ve only heard about you before. Come closer, let me see.”

The monster wasn’t exactly the subtle sort, was he?

“My name is Tuahangata,” he said, the beginnings of his old, familiar introduction ready at the tip of his tongue, but he had _new_ things to say now. “And I am here to help you.”

He had been expecting laughter, scoffing, or even anger in response; he got none of those. Instead the crab only looked at him more closely.

“You smell like _them.”_

It took a moment for Tua to decipher what the monster meant -- he must be referring to Aiata and Tamatoa. “Um, yes?”

Those large eyes tilted, narrowing in consideration. What was there to think about, though? The crab could either let Tua help him up, or not. And while there were many variations of ‘not’ that came to mind, Tua did not think that any of them required _this_ level of deliberation.

Finally, the crab shrugged. “Fine. Let’s find out what a tiny little thing like you can do.”

Tua was not certain if he was surprised or not that the monster so easily allowed him near, nor made any attempt at trickery or deception. It took a few tries before Tua found the right point of leverage, but once he did it took only one powerful shove to send the crab over and rightfully onto his front.

Dusty sand billowed out around him, but the monster nonetheless quickly stood. Once back on his feet, the creature merely inspected him, antennae flitting around and even poking at him, but he made no aggressive motions, no matter that he must have been starving.

Finally apparently satisfied, the antennae lifted away and a smile graced the monster’s face. “So, _Tua,_ why does a human like you go around spending time with monsters like us?”

“I am not human, for one,” Tua answered, similarly uncertain if he was irked or not at the unearned informal shortening of his name. “I am a demigod. I am here to protect monsters, now.”

“_Protect?’”_ he asked, but not with sarcasm…. Maybe just a touch of humor. “Sweetcheeks, I think you’re a little late to be _protecting_ me from that female you’re shacking up with.”

Tua didn’t know what to say to that. He stood there, staring, until the crab winked at him.

“So, a _demigod,_ are you? Tamatoa told me he beat you and another one to a pulp. That true?”

Say _what?_ Tua’s jaw could only drop. _What?!_ That wasn’t how it had happened!

“Anyway,” the crab continued, when the silence drew long. “I’m Nupaa. Thanks for helping me up, Tua.” A single antenna brushed across his shoulder - across Tua’s neck, more like - before Nupaa began to saunter away.

“Catch ya later, sweetcheeks.”


End file.
